


Paper Boats

by Semi_problematic



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Car Accidents, Child Death, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Original Character Death(s), POV Child, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 17:10:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15845703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Semi_problematic/pseuds/Semi_problematic
Summary: "He's a kid." Daddy looked sad. And tired. He was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt while Dad wore nice clothes. Rainy days always made Daddy sad. "He deserves to play in the rain. I won't stop him."





	Paper Boats

Thunder rumbled outside. The noise scared Jack, but daddy always told him that it was just the angels bowling. Jack assumed he was right. Daddy and Dad never lied to him. Big lights shined across the sky in a zig zag shape. That's what Dad says is lightening. Jack ran across his room and flung open his closet door, sitting down on his knees and digging through the bottom of his closet.

"Jack." Dad yelled, peeking into his bedroom. "Whats with all the noise? Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, dad, its just raining and I wanna play in the rain." Jack gasped as he pulled out one of his bright yellow rain boots. "I like the puddles and chasing the water as it rushes into the sewer." Dad always winced when he brought the sewer up. Jack didn't know why. 

"Jack, buddy." Dad didn't sound as happy as Jack did. "You know how daddy feels about you running around outside while its raining-"

"I'll be extra super safe." Jack swore. He was already extra super safe but his dads needed to be reminded sometimes. "And I'll stay on the sidewalk. I want him to make me one of those paper boats!" 

"Why don't we just go in the backyard and splash around?" Dad scooped Jack up in his arms. "We can do whatever you want..." He took a deep breath. "Even if that means running around in mud." Dad didn't like germs. Or messes. Or anything in between.

"Pretty please." Jack whined, tangling his hands in his Dads blonde hair. It looked like mac and cheese. The swirly ones. "I swear it, I'll be so good. I'll come back in like ten minutes. Pleaseeeee-"

"Let him go." Daddy stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. He sounded the least happy of them all. 

"Bil-"

"Let him go, Stanley." Jack knew it was serious by the tone of Daddys voice. They only used their real names when things were serious. 

"Are you sure?" Dad put his hands over Jacks ears thinking it would stop the boy from hearing. "I mean, I know you want to pretend its okay for him but I also know this is hard-"

"He's a kid." Daddy looked sad. And tired. He was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt while dad wore nice clothes. Rainy days always made daddy sad. "He deserves to play in the rain. I won't stop him." 

"Please." Jack moved Dads hands off of his ears. "I want to so bad, please, please, please-"

"You can." Daddy was smiling now, which was good. Jack didn't like when either of his dads were sad. "I heard you say you want me to make you one of the paper boats."

"Yes!" Jack shouted, causing Dad to wince.

"Inside voice, Jack." Dad rubbed his head. 

"Okay... get dressed in your rain coat and rain boots while I go make one. I'm gonna go out with you to make sure you're safe." Daddy smiled at him before walking towards them. He kissed Dad on the mouth and Jack on the head. "Meet me by the door."

"Lets find that other shoe." Dad kissed Jack on the head before setting him down on the ground. He set the one rain boot to the side before peeking into the closet on his hands and knees. Jack climbed on his back, grabbing at his raincoat. "Jack-"

"Sorry, Dad!" Jack shouted, yanking his coat off the rack. "I just saw it and I had to get it." He climbed off of Dad's back and kissed where he stepped before pulling his raincoat on and sliding the hood up over his head. The hood covered his eyes but Jack didn't mind. He liked to play yhe blind game where he walked around with his eyes closed. In the past two weeks Jack had managed to not run into a single thing during the game. He was perfect at it. "Did ya find my other boot?"

"Mhm." Dad leaned back against his heels and held up the other yellow rainboot. "Make sure you stay with Daddy while you guys play in the rain. Its important that you stay safe-" 

"I know, I know." Jack hopped around his room, pulling one boot on. He fell over, wincing. "I'll be good and stay with Daddy. I know the rules for playing outside."

"I know." Dad sighed. "I just... I gotta make sure you understand how important it is to be safe. Now more than ever." He held his pinky out. "Pinky promise me you'll be as super safe as you said."

"Yeah, I swear." Jack hooked his pinky with Dad's before pulling away and tugging his other shoe on. He stood up and ran out of the room, stumbling down the steps. His rainboots were far too big, but he didn't mind. "Daddy!" Jack called. "I'm ready!" 

"Your boat is by the door." Daddy replied. "Just let me get my own raincoat on." Jack could hear rustling in the other room, but he ignored it. He was too excited to try out his new boat, so he picked it up and struggled to open the front door. Jack pushed the storm door open and ran down the steps and towards the driveway.

Water poured out of the down spout and rushed down the cement in small waves. The raindrops kind of hurt Jack's head but he didn't mind. Playing in the rain was fun. He loved the splash of water and the deep puddles that looked like lakes and the way raindrops raced each other down windows. Jack ran across the driveway, dragging his feet through the waves. It was almost hard to walk, but Jack managed to only slip and fall a few times. Dad says falling isn't always a bad thing, its just am opportunity to do better.

Daddy walked out of the house, pulling his hood up. He didn't look very happy but he came out anyway. Dad says sometimes you aren't happy about everything you have to do, but you still have to do it. "Ready to go?" He chuckled once he got closer. 

"Yeah." Jack beamed, gripping his boat as he ran down the driveway. He waited for his father to get closer before placing the boat in the stream of water rushing down the road. "Look at it go!" Jack cheered, tugging his father along the sidewalk. "Its zooming so fast!" 

"It is." Daddy agreed, each step of his equaling three of Jacks. "I made sure it was the best one I ever made." He was smiling now. That made Jack happy. 

"Wait-" Jack gasped as the boat sped up. "No!" He shouted, running down the sidewalk. "Its going towards the hole!" No. That wasn't the right word. "The sewer! Daddy!" Jack couldn't lose the boat. It was the best boat his Daddy had ever made him. Jack hopped off of the sidewalk and ran through the water, sending big waves over the boat. "Its gonna go-" Jack gasped as his father scooped him up.

Daddy grabbed the boat and stepped back onto the sidewalk, standing over the the top of the sewer. "Jack..." Daddy whispered, kissing the top of his head. "If anything goes towards the sewer, don't follow it. I will make you a million paper boats before I would ever send you to tbe sewer." Daddy sounded sad again and it made Jack feel sad. "I won't ever be mad if you lose one."

"Okay." Jack whispered, hiding his face in his father's neck. "Can I play with my boat again?"

"Yeah." Daddy breathed out, setting Jack back down on the ground. "But if the boat starts going somewhere bad, let me handle it." He patted the top of Jacks head before setting the boat back down against the stream of water.

Jack chased the boat down the sidewalk, giggling and gasping each time the boat rubbed up against the sidewalk. "Hurry up!" Jack screamed. "Come on! It's speeding up and you're being all slow!" He ran back to Daddy, taking his hand and dragging him town the sidewalk. "You got long legs, keep up."

"Okay, okay." Daddy laughed, holding his hand so tight it almost hurt. "Be careful when you chase it down the hill. I don't want you slipping and falling." He let go of Jack's hand when he felt Jack tug at it. "Go on a little ahead. Just be careful and don't turn any corners!" 

Jack felt like he was flying as he ran down the sidewalk, focusing on not falling. His boots made loud thudding noises as he ran, the sky booming in reply. Jack liked to pretend that he could talk to the world. To the sky and the animals. It always felt like they were talking to him so it was only fair he talked back. The boat splashed in the water as the hill got steeper and Jack struggled to keep his balance.

It was going far too fast by the time the hill ended, but Jack was still keeping up. He didn't know where his Daddy was but he didn't take any turns so he knew he wasn't being bad. His legs hurt but he didn't want this to end. Chasing boats in the rain was so fun and it hardly ever happened, so he was going to treasure it. Thats what Dad did when he saw pretty birds eating out of the bird feeder. He didn't ever take photos, he just enjoyed the moment. 

Jack was so focused on the boat that he didn't notice when he stepped off the sidewalk and into the middle of the road. He continued to run, only freezing when he heard his dad yelling for him. "What?" He shouted, looking at the sidewalk that was only a few feet away. He walked back into the road, squinting. "Daddy! I can't hear yo-" Jack was cut off by a loud screeching noise that was much scarier than any thunder. 

Something hard slammed into Jack, knocking him down against the concrete. His body ached and he couldn't move. Tears fell down his cheeks and mixed into the water that was washing over him. He didn't know he was screaming until water filled his mouth and his nose. Jack curled up against the concrete, sobbing. He couldn't move. It hurt to breathe. What hit him?

"I am so sorry." A woman yelled. She was being too loud. So was the ringing in his ears and the rain. "He stepped in front of me and I tried to stop-"

"Thats my son!" Jack knew that voice. That was Daddy's voice. "Don't touch him!" He was being too loud, too. "Call the police and stay in your car!" Daddy sounded like a mix of angry and sad. Jack didn't like it. "You've done enough!" Daddy was touching him now, scooping him into his arms.

"It hurts." Jack gasped out, sobbing. "Stop!" He slapped his fathers chest. "It hurts! Stop!" He hurt all over and Daddy's hug didn't help. 

"Jack." Daddy sounded far away. "Jack? Can you hear me?" 

"Daddy." Jack cried, gripping Daddy's slick raincoat. "Daddy, why can't I hear you?" He screamed. 

"Hello?" The woman was speaking again. "I'm on Woodsen and Lakeview, I-I just hit a boy. He looks maybe four or five-"

"Five." Daddy shouted. 

"His legs... his legs seem to be broken and he just... I don't know. Hes so small." The woman sounded sad, too. "One arm seems to be broken and he said he can't hear. It must be muffled or something." 

"Hes bleeding." Daddy wasn't yelling anymore. He was crying like Jack was. "Tell them hes bleeding. Underneath his raincoat his shirt is all red." His words were choked up like Jacks were, too. Did Daddy get hurt, too?

"Hurts." Jack breathed out, falling limp against his father. Everything hurt. His stomach felt like it did when he got hit in the stomach with a soccerball but a million times worse. The lady said his legs were broken, but Jack wasn't sure. He couldn't feel that or his too big rainboots anymore. 

"Stay with me." Daddy sounded like he was whispering, but Jack wasn't sure that was the case. Daddy knows Jack can't hear well when it rains. Why would he be whispering? "Call my husband. 816-897-9967. Tell him where we are and what happened."

Jack couldn't hear the woman reply. He could feel his Daddy's hand on his back, though. And the hard raindrops that were hitting his face. Jack tried to open his eyes and look for his boat again, but he couldn't open his eyes. It all hurt too much. 

Daddy was shaking him, Jack didn't know why. He wasn't crying anymore or yelling for his Daddy. He was just laying still. The pain was unbearable, but he couldn't shout. It was like he was all frozen up, except it hurt. Daddy continued to shake him, but Jack just laid there, slowly breathing. Daddy touched his face, but Jack couldn't push into it. He couldn't do anything, not even breathe.

Soon, Jack couldn't feel anything at all.


End file.
